Bagels and death threats
by fruchthuhn
Summary: There's really bad weather outside. Jane can't sleep. Police AU.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Outside of Jane's window the city was shaken by a fierce wind, that made her windows shudder. Another violent gust of air forced its way into her attic and made the wooden beams below her roof creak ominously. Jane wasn't normally scared of thunderstorms, but the occasional flash of lightning projected flexuous shadows across her walls and the howling noises of the storm outside made falling asleep impossible.

The fact that she had received an anonymous letter earlier that day didn't make it any easier. It had entailed a very unoriginal death threat, glued together out of cut out newspaper articles. Her first reaction upon opening it had been to snort. She couldn't believe people actually did that sort of thing. It had looked ridiculous and not at all frightening.

Well, now, being alone in her flat with hellish weather outside, she had to reconsider.

Another loud creaking from above roused her completely. She could feel her heart thudding rather quicker than normal and a cold sweat had broken out on her back. Jane put her head in her hands and forced herself to breathe evenly. She was a cop, for gods sake! She should be able to handle this and not embarass herself by almost wetting her bed! She groaned at that thought. She could imagine Loki saying something along those lines, except he'd probably call her out on embarassing _him_ and not her.

Loki hadn't reacted to the news that one of his officers had been threatened at all. He had merely demanded to see the letter, then skimmed it once and handed it back to Jane without even looking at her. Instead he had adressed the room at large and demanded that someone bring him a bagel.

Jane had been relieved in a way. She had been sure to receive a reprimand of _some_ sort at least. Loki's indifference was much better than his temper. That her wellbeing seemingly was of such little importance to him _had_ irked her though. Only a little, of course, because who cared about what Loki thought, right?, she told herself on her way home, trying not to look too paranoid while looking over her shoulder every few seconds.

When she arrived at her street, her irritation with her boss had vanished and been replaced by a sort of grudging relief. A police car had stood in front of her house, the silhouette of an officer inside just visible through the pouring rain.

Feeling a bit better, Jane had entered her flat in a hurry, wet like a fish and dripping all over her floor.

Silently, she now made her way over to the window. The car was still there, lights out and unmoving. She really didn't envy the guy who had been assigned to watch her in this kind of weather. She was still grateful. The sight of the police car soothed her a bit, just as it had when she first saw it.

Without thinking about it Jane leaned her forehead against the icy window pane and let the pattering of the rain calm her nerves. She hugged her arms to herself, if for warmth or for comfort, she didn't know. After staying like that for a while, she decided she had been pathetic for long enough and went back to bed.

A loud crash ripped Jane from a fitful sleep. She shot upright, pulse hammering against her chest. Her throat constricted painfully and she felt cold all over. The sound had come from downstairs, where Darcy's room and the kitchen were. '_Thank god Darcy's not at home'_, was Jane's first coherent thought. Her second was, 'S_omeone is in the house'._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Another flash of lightning illuminated Jane's bedroom. Her training kicked in at exactly the same moment.

_How dramatic_, she thought, as she lept off her bed and made her way over to her cupboard. She opened it and knelt down in front of a little safe that was placed inside. Willing her hands not to tremble, Jane opened the lock and reached inside. As her hand closed around the cool handle of her gun, she felt a little calmer. Funny how weapons did that to you, no matter how much you despise using them, Jane thought grimly. With a sense of purpose she crossed her room and opened the door as silently as possible. She peered into the hallway, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. Nothing moved. The thunderous weather prevented her from making out any suspicious noises. After listening very hard for another second, Jane adjusted the grip on her gun and stepped forward. She sidled along the corridor's wall until she could peer down the stairs. Again, she could see nothing. She breathed evenly through her nose and swung herself onto the first step, pointing her gun onto the landing below. Her heart was hammering again, but her stance was steady and her gaze keen. As softly as a cat, Jane treaded down the carpeted stairs. She had made it halfway down, when the sound of glass breaking reached her ears.

She couldn't prevent the little hiss of '_Fuck_!' to escape her lips. Clamping her mouth shut, she flattened herself against the wall and stood stock-still, waiting for sounds of an intruder moving about. She wasn't yet sure that it wasn't a stray cat that caused the ruckus, or a flock of birds that had broken a window. She'd much prefer those scenarios to the one where a stranger was crawling around her living room.

Gun poised, Jane padded downwards, her shoulder still pressed to the wall. She shifted a little, so she could peer into the oval mirror next to the coat rack. Through it she could make out a part of Darcy's room. She gulped. She was sure the door had been locked...

It wasn't now and inside the floor was covered with shards of broken glass that sparkled dimly. Cursing the storm that still howled, Jane forced herself to move. Aside from the wind that entered her flat through Darcy's broken window and the steady patter of raindrops she could hear nothing. Maybe she was alone after all...

Just as she rounded the corner, considering the idea that maybe she had imagined things, she made out a moving silhouette in the corner of her eye. She was about to whip around, as a strong hand circled her from behind and grabbed her wrists in an iron grip. The intruder forced her to step backwards and slammed her hands against the wall. Jane dropped the gun and gasped. She flinched as the man stepped right into her and clamped his other hand over her mouth, immobilizing her completely. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins and made her dizzy. She tried to free her hands or get her knee into the guy's groin, but he was freakishly strong and had his hips angled away from her, as if he knew... the bastard!

The dark figure dipped his head towards hers, but she couldn't make out any features. Where was the damn lightning when you needed it? Jane trembled with cold and admittedly with fear as the stranger's breath hit the shell of her ear.

He whispered: ''Jane. Please relax. You blustered through the house quite loud enough already. I can't have you scare away a possible invader by screaming your head off, too.''

What? _What?!_

Ohhh, Jane wanted to hit him, no, pulverize him or at least get her fucking knee into his private parts!

''_Loki?!'', _she hissed against his palm. He pulled his head away from her and looked at her. She still couldn't see his face, but it was enough to imagine him regarding her with that arrogant look of his. He cocked his head to the side, silently asking her if she had understood to be silent. _That bastard. _Jane nodded into his hand and he released her face from his grip, placing his hand next to her head and letting go of her wrists to pull his gun out of its holster. Jane huffed with suppressed rage and tried to step out of his hold. He didn't let her though and leaned into her until she found herself pressed between the wall and his chest. She turned her head to the side and her nose brushed his throat momentarily. Jane didn't dare ask him _what the fuck he was doing_ and instead concentrated on flattening her palms against the stone behind her and not the man in front of her. Loki peered around. He seemed to wait for something or he was just listening very hard.

Jane felt herself quite overwhelmed by the heat of his body and the fact that _she liked how he smelled_ irritated her to no end. When he stepped away from her, she leaned forward involuntarily. She caught herself though and just in time, too, because Loki threw her a look over his shoulder and motioned with his hand to follow him. As he turned around the corner, Jane found herself without her gun and her annoyance with Loki returned tenfold, making her oversee how she hadn't been afraid one bit since the moment she realised that it was Loki and not a stranger pressing her into a wall.

* * *

_So, this happened. I am a sucker for police AUs. I don't know wether I'll continue this, although some reviews might encourage me to :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Her hands were unsteadily searching the carpeted floor for the gun she had dropped during Loki's assault. She stressed the word _assault_ in her mind and tried to suppress the rage that was boiling in her. He didn't have to spring on her, she told herself, like some sort of prowling panther, or whatever those lean cats were called he so reminded her of...Jane grit her teeth at that thought. She really needed to stop being affected by his presence so much or she would make a total fool of herself.

Speaking of which...

''Did you look for this?'', Loki drawled behind her. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, obviously done with searching for a culprit, for he had his arms crossed in a relaxed and yet disapproving sort of way, that he seemed to have reserved solely for Jane.

_I'm only imagining that_, Jane reasoned and looked up at him from where she was crouched on the floor. Loki prodded her gun with his foot and cocked his eyebrow at her mockingly. _Okay, not imagining things_.

Jane got to her feet. She approached Loki and bent to pick up her gun, trying to looked dignified. Loki stayed stockstill and regarded her with something akin to amusement. Or disgust. The way his mouth twiched it could be both. Jane could not tell and she wasn't sure wether she'd rather be laughed or scoffed at, so she ignored him.

As Loki seemed to have no inclination to diffuse the umcomfortable silence that had spread, Jane did.

''What are _you_ doing here?'', she blurted out and cringed at her own brashness.

Loki sneered. ''I was trying to arrest whoever broke into _your_ home before you so competently joined me.''

Jane blushed and threw him a dirty look. ''I guessed as much from the way you manhandled me earlier. I mean, why are you here and not some underling of yours?''

He stared at her for a moment, wide eyed. He looked shocked for some reason. Flexing his jaw, Loki unlocked his arms and strode past her, towards Darcy's room. Sounding almost lazy he said: ''I didn't feel like bestowing this dull task onto someone who'd much rather go home. You _have_ noticed the weather, right?'' Jane blinked. He was _so_ lying. She had never seen him give a rat's ass about anyone doing overtime, much less about them doing so during shitty weather. He'd have them show up to work even if the God of thunder were chasing them.

She joined him in Darcy's room. He had already flipped out his mobile phone and was calling whomever was on duty, she was sure. Her gaze travelled over the glittering debris on Darcy's carpet and the jagged remains of a windowpane. The air in the room was frigid and the shadows in the corners wafted ominously. On the phone, Loki was passing on her name and address. Jane shivered. Darcy could have been home. She could have been hurt or abducted or _dead _and it would have been because of Jane. The coldness intensified and she pulled her dressing gown tight around her. She tried to relax but she found that she couldn't stop shivering. She gulped for air then and realized. _Oh no_, she thought.

''You're having a panic attack'', Loki stated to her left and looked at her. He sounded genuinely surprised and did not seem quite sure what to do.

''Yes'', Jane wheezed and sank to the floor unsteadily. Loki gave a start as he realised what was happening. He put his phone away and grabbed Jane by the elbow before she could sit down. With a huff of annoyance he pulled her back up and pressed the flat of his other hand against the small of her back to steer her backwards, away from the glass shards on the floor. ''Do you really want to sit down on those? If you enjoy pain that much, I ensure you there are _other_ ways...''. ''What do you...?'' Jane shook her head confusedly, forgetting her disorientation momentarily. ''Loki!'', she spluttered and whacked him on the shoulder, with rather less force than she would have liked, but still. ''There. Already better'', Loki grinned and guided her out of the room with his hand still firmly on her lower back. Jane let him usher her towards a kitchen chair and as he gently pressed on her shoulder she sat down obediently, waiting for him to scold or taunt her for her lack of professionalism. She didn't care. Frankly, she was still concerned with regulating her breathing to avoid a bout of hyperventilation that had nearly overcome her earlier. Some commotion to her right and a light tap on her knee forced her to concentrate on Loki again. He was crouching down in front of her, holding a glass of water under her nose. ''Drink up.''

Silently she took it and emptied it with quick gulps. She pressed the cool glass to her temple and sighed. ''I'm sorry Loki. It's just that...that is Darcy's room and I was thinking, what if...I was just so scared that she…..I mean...'', her words began to trail away and she hung her head defeatedly. Loki was silent for a moment. Then he rose from his position on the floor, squeezing Jane's knee for a fleeting second before stepping away from her and taking up position at the window. Jane glanced up tentatively as he calmly spoke.

''It's fine, Jane. I understand, I really do.'' He gazed at the street outside and so little light illuminated him that Jane could only make out the contoures of his profile. ''You are very compassionate. But being compassionate to a fault comes with a heavy prize in this profession. If you don't lose some of your innocence in that regard, you will get hurt eventually.''

Jane had her hands clasped in her lap and didn't quite know what to say. He didn't seem angry, just sort of tired. Almost sad.

''Get hurt how?'', she whispered.

''I don't know. You just will.''

As they waited, neither of them said anymore.

* * *

Random urge to write this came out of nowhere. I won't even pretend to know where this is going. :D


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Jane was counting her kitchen tiles. When she had done that (there were 108) she got up from her chair and refilled her water glass at the sink. She took another from the cupboard to fill for Loki. Silently she sidled up next to him. He took the glass without a word but didn't drink from it.

,,Do you want coffee?'', Jane asked him awkwardly.

Loki's head snapped to the side as if he had been whipped. He stared at her, clearly confused.

,,Or I could make some tea, you know, if you don't want water...''

He opened his mouth to speak and closed it again to stare at the glass in his hand as if it had magically appeared there. He was making this very difficult, Jane thought.

,,Coffee'', Loki muttered. Then he continued to stare outside. Feeling somewhat shunted Jane flipped the switch on the coffee machine and filled it with water. As she bustled about Loki never moved a muscle. Her guest was one moody fellow.

Normally Loki's unsociability would have aggravated her but the warm aroma of fresh coffee lifted her mood and he _had_ come to her potential rescue after all. She was a bit surprised at how grateful she felt for that. She was also mortified about her semi-breakdown in front of him, but those were normal feelings around Loki, for her at least. _Wonder why that is_, the nasty little honest part of her thought. Jane's cheeks flushed and she cleared her throat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Loki turning to her, so she hurried to fill two chipped cups with steaming coffee. She took her time adding milk and sugar to hers. When she was sure that her face no longer showed any of the acute embarassment she felt she handed Loki his cup. _Of_ _course_ his fingers grazed hers for a split second and Jane averted her eyes. God, why did she have to act like a little girl around him?

Keen to avert his attention from her awkwardness and because she couldn't stand his presence in silence like that any longer, she asked the only thing she could think of aside of ''_so I only just realised I sort of fancy you. Weird, huh?''_.

''So, I only just realised I ...'' _Damn_.

''…..realised what, Jane?'' His lips quivered a bit, definitely out of amusement this time.

''Um, I realised how funny you must have looked, getting in.''

''I'm not sure I follow'', he said with that half-smile still on his face.

Jane smiled tentatively in return. ''How did you even get through that window without shredding your expensive suit jacket?'', she teased. ''You probably destroyed all the evidence too, and only because of some kid's prank.'' At that she had to snort, succeeding in spattering her chin with coffee and wiping the smile off Loki's face.

''_What_ are you talking about?'', he all but hissed.

''God, Loki, don't be such a killjoy. I take it back, okay?'', she sighed and grabbed a towel to pat at her newly aquired coffee stains.

''No Jane, I mean it. What are you talking about?'' Loki's gaze was boring into her, she felt pinned to the spot by it.

''The … stone? Someone threw a stone through that window. It's the only way in...'', she stammered. Loki's expression darkened and Jane drew in a shaky breath. ''How did you get in, Loki?''

''The front door. It was open.'' He sounded grim but not that surprised by her obliviousness. At least he didn't think her dumb enough to leave the door unlocked. That didn't exactly reassure Jane though.

With a _clanck _she placed her cup back on the counter.

''It was open?!'', she whispered angrily. ''And you were going to tell me this when?''

Loki put his hands up in a defensive gesture. ''I assumed you knew.''

Jane's nostrils flared. It was so like him to just assume everyone knew stuff he knew. How he could still deem every person in the world below him was an absolute mystery to her.

''Well I did not know! In fact I checked and double checked that it was locked!'', she growled. Her anger dissipated as the fact sank in that someone actually had been in her flat. She felt horribly exposed.

''You don't think they could still be here, do you?''

She did not want to sound so frightened but she had to ask.

''You checked upstairs, didn't you?''

Jane glared at him. Was he mental?! Of course she had!

''Well, then no.'', Loki said decidedly and Jane deflated despite herself.

''That's not the problem here anyways.''

Startled, Jane asked: ''What do you mean?''

Loki regarded her for a moment and then, quite unexpectedly took two steps forward to stand directly in front of her. He positively towered above her and his voice was steely as he said: ''You said you checked the door Jane. You locked it. It's not damaged. Nobody forced their way in here.''

Jane braced herself on the counter behind her. It began to dawn on her what Loki was implying.

A car pulled up in front of her house. It's dull blue light illuminated the kitchen in silent intervalls.

''Yes...my god, you're right.'' Jane barely spoke the words. ''The stone...why would anybody throw a stone _after..._?''

''After they've been in?'', Loki completed her thought for her. ''I'm not sure. To scare. To mislead.''

Jane stared blankly at his chest, feeling quite numb. If Loki was right, and she was sure he was, because nothing else made sense, there had been someone inside her flat with her for an unnaccounted time. She had actually locked herself in with them when she had come home, not knowing...

The warm weight of Loki's hands on her shoulders jolted her from her stupor. Jane looked up into his face. She felt like crying or vomiting and she tried very hard to do neither.

''Breathe.'', Loki ordered dispassionately, but not unkindly. She did as he asked and heard him say ''Good girl''. She started to scowl at him when the opening of the front door shocked her so violenty, she gave an actual start. Loki cupped her neck soothingly and whipped his head towards the two officers, who sauntered into the kitchen.

''How about knocking next time, you idiots?'', he barked at them. Their faces fell almost comically as they realised who was standing in front of them. One was quicker on the uptake than the other and managed an apology. ''Sorry Sir'', he mumbled.

Jane had calmed down enough to realise that Loki still held his palm against her neck. He seemed unawares. Jane was acutely aware. She swallowed, which directed Loki's attention back to her.

''Are you alright?'', he asked and Jane, seeing how the officers were ogling them with undisguised curiosity, nodded.

Loki seemed satisfied with that and stepped away from her to order the men about. Jane barely listened. She knew the drill. Fingerprints, reports. God, she'd have to answer questions. Sighing, she walked around the others out of the kitchen. She felt Loki's eyes on her but he didn't stop her. With a rather brusque pace she climbed the steps to the first floor. She only hesitated in front of her bedroom. If the intruder had been in the flat the whole time, he must have hid somewhere. Old childhood fears of a monster living under her bed came to mind, unbidden.

Jane shook her head and dismissed the thought. She had to keep it together. Grabbing a ratty travelling bag and shedding her dressing gown she proceeded to stuff some spare clothes and other neccessities together. She pulled on a white shirt and pants that lay haphazardly over a chair. She couldn't stay here, at least not until the locks had been changed. Calling the locksmith was the first thing she intended on doing after the sun had risen. The second was to convince Darcy to stay with her parents for a bit longer than planned. She absolutely wouldn't involve her in whatever this was that she found herself in. For Jane was convinced that this night had only been the beginning of some sick person's cat-and-mouse-game.

After a quick look in the mirror - she looked like hell – Jane hurried back downstairs.

Loki was standing at the door.

''Don't leave without me'', Jane called.

''I wasn't planning to'', he said, which surprised Jane. She stopped short of descending the last step.

''You weren't?''

''I was under the impression that you'd want to get at least a few hours of sleep tonight.'' His drawl was back in place, alright.

Confused as to _what_ exactly Loki was offering, Jane felt herself reddening again.

When she didn't leave her post at the bottom stair, Loki cocked an eyebrow at her.

''Are you coming or not? If we drive now you can cram in two hours or three. I can't say the couch in my office is comfortable, but as you're approximately as tall as a 12 year old you might find it more agreeable.''

With that he opened the door and vanished through it, expecting her to follow. She did, feeling mostly relieved and only a tiny bit disappointed.

* * *

Seeing as there are people actually reading this, I thought I'd just continue with it. By the way, I am from Germany so please excuse any mistakes I might make. And I was so happy about people reviewing, thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Loki had not been lying. His couch was not the best substitute for a bed. As Jane settled down on it, she sank in at a weird angle, apparently a spring or two were broken. Huffing, she arranged her limbs into a somewhat comfortable position and spread a checkered blanket over herself. It had been lying in disarray on top of the couch, leading Jane to suspect that Loki himself had spend nights sleeping here before. She had been inside his office quite a few times but never noticed. Weird, that.

She took in a deep breath and the smell of old leather soothed her to the point where she was already half asleep when a voice made her crack open her eyes again.

''Will you be alright here?''

Loki was leaning against the doorframe. He had taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves. His crossed forearms were pale and sinewy. He looked as casual as Jane had ever seen him, but the fluorescent light of the ceiling light made him look pale and somewhat ill.

Jane considered the situation the two of them were currently in. They had just spent half a night in close proximity, drinking coffee and arguing quite a lot. Not that that was so out of the ordinary for them. But there had also been a lot of uncharacteristic touching involved and a rather embarassing showcase of emotion on Jane's part.

And now she was going to sleep on Loki's couch -or bed? Where did he live anyways?- while he was settling in for some paperwork at her desk. Just great, like that wouldn't get the gossip factory in this place going.

''Sure'', Jane answered him, her mind still milling around. ''And thanks again, Loki.''

As awkward and inappropriate as this whole night had been, she wouldn't forget her courtesy. And to be honest, she was beyond caring at this point, she was just immensely grateful that she didn't have to stay at her place.

''Don't worry about it, I was only doing my job.'', Loki offered coolly. Jane propped her chin up on her elbow and hid a smile in her sleeve. Sure he was. He was doing the job of a normal patrol officer because he felt like it and now he was going to bear her company because his paperwork just couldn't wait at 3 am. Loki glared at her amused silence and as to not anger him further, Jane forced a yawn.

''Good night, Loki'', she said and rolled over. Loki didn't answer and after a second she heard him leave the office. He hadn't closed the door behind him and as the soft rustle of paper drifted over to her from the other room, Jane wondered if he had left it open on her behalf. If so, he was much nicer than she ever thought him to be. She was thankful all the same. She didn't think she could sleep alone this night.

Someone was gently shaking her shoulder. A man, she guessed from the broadness of the hand that touched her. Groggily, she sat up and groaned. She seemed to have pulled all the muscles in her back during her short rest. When she opened her eyes a large and happy grin surrounded by blond stubble greeted her. ''Good morning sunshine'', it said.

''Thor?''

''You sound surprised. Were you expecting my brother?''

''What? I, no, I... is there coffee?''

Thor laughed at that and Jane rubbed a hand over her face in chagrin. She _had_ expected Loki to wake her. In fact, she had thought he'd have the decency to do so before their colleages got the chance to spot her napping in his office. Didn't he care what everyone would think? Well, of course he did not, the git. As if anyone'd dare mention anything in front of _him_ anyways. Jane, on the other hand, would never hear the end of it, she was sure.

True enough, when she tried to make her way to the bathroom inconspicuously, she met several raised eyebrows and conversations were stifled hastily as she passed. Perfect, she thought. After the threatening letter and the sleep-over in her boss's office she'd be the topic of conversation for months.

In the bathroom she splashed her face with cold water and tried to fix her tangled mess of hair. She sighed heavily as someone knocked on the door.

''Yes?'', she asked a bit flippantly.

''Fancy a bagel or something? I was going to grab some breakfast over at Sif's.'', Thor's voice came from the other side.

''God, yes.'' Checking her reflection a last time – passable, she thought, shrugging – she left the bathroom to where Thor was waiting for her, grinning.

''I thought so. Come on then.''

Together they left the office, Jane feeling the eyes of their co-workers on her back as the heavy entrance door fell shut behind her.

Sif's was a small place at the end of the street, a café nestled between tall office buildings like a stubborn plant that refused to wither, even without sunlight. Jane knew that Sif had been offered a lot of money to leave the building when the construction company had started to rip open the street to their left and right. She had refused.

Today the café's business was flourishing, thanks to all the bankers and managers that came over in their lunch breaks. Officers and detectives such as Jane and Thor were regulars.

A bell chimed merrily as they entered the café that bustled with customers. On a table in the far corner four lawyers were arguing over scattered files, not caring about their rather colorful language. Two women in their fourties sat chatting animatedly at the bar. Jane saw one of them throw Thor an appreciative glance and stifled a smirk. He was such a ladies' man. It tended to be bothersome when they were on duty, but mostly Jane found it quite amusing. When it came to women Thor wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. That had a lot to do with the fact that he was hopelessly enamoured with Sif, who had spotted them from behind the bar and waved. Thor cleared his throat and shouldered his way over to her. Jane followed in his wake. As they arrived at the counter Thor pushed a suit jacketed man away quite rudely to give Jane some space beside him. The man glared at them angrily but he didn't say anything. Nobody ever did, to Thor.

''Thor, you're scaring my customers.''

The guy in the suit blushed furiously and directed his glare at Sif. He didn't say anything to _her_, either. Thor and Sif were very similar in that regard.

''Oh? I hadn't noticed.'', Thor said innocently and Sif rolled her eyes.

''So, a coffee to go, then?'', she asked sweetly and Thor's smile fell. Jane laughed.

''You two are adorable, you know?'', she giggled knowing it would distract them, at least for a bit.

''Well, you would know all about being adorable, wouldn't you Jane?'', Sif mused and looked at Jane. Not for the first time Jane felt a bit too scrutinized under Sif's attention. She knew that Sif was swift to take offence, but they had always been on friendly enough terms. Now, Jane wasn't sure if Sif liked her that much after all.

Sif seemed to take up on the changed mood and quickly plastered a smile on her face. ''I didn't mean it, Jane. Now stop looking at me like a kicked puppy or I'll put a collar on you.''

Thor laughed and ruffled Jane's hair. Sif turned her back to them at that and pressed some buttons on the coffee grinder. Jane pulled herself from Thor's grip. He was so stupid sometimes.

Sif's rather clipped tone as she took their order – coffee for the whole office and a blueberry muffin for Jane and Thor each – let Jane to excuse herself.

She went outside and took shelter from the wind by pressing herself against a wall plastered with posters of a boyband in ludicrous outfits. On some posters their faces were decorated with drawn mustaches.

Through the café's window to her right she could make out Thor leaning closer to Sif over the bar. Sif was laughing at something and Thor blushed like a little girl. Jane shook her head disbelievingly. She took her phone out of her coat pocket and tried to find a cheap locksmith online, but her Internet connection left her hanging. Unperturbed, Jane closed the tab and dialed up Darcy's number. She wasn't particularly keen on explaining everything to her. But speaking to someone who wouldn't give her a hard time for accidentally sleeping on her boss's couch or for accidentally diverting the attention of her partner from his not-girlfriend seemed like an okay idea at the moment.

''This is Darcy and who the heck calls me in the middle of the night?'', a groggy voice said from the end of the line.

A huge grin made itself at home on Jane's features. It felt so good to hear Darcy being her grouchy morning-self, unaffected by the night's events.

''Sorry'', Jane said, swallowing a lump in her throat. Quickly she added: ''It's 8 in the morning, you know?''

''I'm a _student_, Jane. When will you learn?'' Darcy groaned exaggeratedly. ''So? What's up? Miss me already?''

Yes, Jane thought. ''You've only been gone for two days, Darcy'', she said. ''I was actually going to ask if you could possibly stay with your parents for a bit longer?''

''Well, that's not very nice, Jane'', Darcy laughed.

''I don't mean it like that!'', Jane exclaimed. ''There's been … uh, your window's broken and I don't know when it'll be replaced.''

''Did you have a party without me, Foster?'' Darcy sounded indignant.

''I wouldn't dream of it, as you very well know'', Jane said. She pulled her coat tighter around her as a gust of cold air chilled her to the bones. She turned the other way, facing away from the wind. As she looked up she spotted a greyclad figure across the street, casually leaning against the brick wall of another office building. She couldn't be sure, but it looked like they were looking her way.

On the phone, Darcy was babbling.

''Hello? Earth to Jane.''

''I'm here'', Jane said distractedly.

The figure hadn't moved a muscle. Jane's neck prickled uneasily.

''And are you going to tell me why my window's broken?''

''Someone threw a stone through it.''

Jane tried to behave naturally and pretended to search her pockets for something, all the while keeping an eye on the person across the street.

''I never liked the kids living in our street, the little buggers. Do you think it was them?''

Jane grunted non-commitally.

''Yeah, me too'', Darcy said.

The grey guy – or was it a woman? - stood still like a statue, gaze fixed on her. Jane had had enough.

''Listen, I'll call you back okay? Just don't come home'', she instructed Darcy.

''Hey! Don't just - ''

But Jane had already hung up on her.

* * *

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. My dog lay on my lap the whole time, snoring.

Please keep the reviews coming, all you nice people out there.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

She wasn't normally prone to acting brashly but something about that suspicious person set her off. The way he or she didn't even flinch when Jane squared her shoulders and took a purposeful step in their direction just fueled her anger. Knowing she probably wasn't doing the smartest thing, she made her way across the street, heading for her would-be-stalker in a straight line. As the distance between them shrank the other person pulled his grey hat down to cover his face. Jane was now quite sure to approach a man, his build and proportions were too bulky for a woman. The guy checked his watch and turned to walk away from her, trying a bit too hard to appear casual. If she wasn't sure before, she was now convinced that he had been watching her. As his pace grew steadily brisker Jane sped up her steps. She had to confront him before he could lead her to a deserted street or disappear altogether. Before she knew it Jane was running after her prey. Not once had he looked over his shoulder and Jane found that very disturbing. It made her feel like she was being pulled after him rather than following on her own volition. She didn't have time to ponder this notion though, because the man turned around the next corner and Jane found herself in a dingy alley. No soul was to be seen and her stalker had just disappeared into a sooty brick building with borded up windows. Jane rolled her eyes. ''You have got to be kidding me'', she muttered. This scenario could only turn out well.

Chewing on her bottom lip Jane considered her options. She could just leave...

She didn't, of course. Fumbling a little, she dialed up Thor's number. He picked up after the second ring.

''Where did you disappear to Janie?'' The background noise of clattering dishes and various voices told Jane that he was still in the café.

''I am in ...'' She looked around her. ''… in, uh….Butcher's Lane.'' _Really_? ''I need backup.''

Thor and her had been partners for over two years now and they worked very well together. Jane knew he wouldn't ask questions or talk her out of whatever she was about to do, because she never listened anyway.

''I'll be there in five. Just don't do anything stupid without me.''

He hung up. Jane stood in front of the more than shady building and peered inside. She couldn't see much through the open door. Exchanging her phone for her gun, she took a determined step forward. The first thing she did was breath in copious amounts of dust. She bit back a cough and tried to determine which way the man had taken. Looking down she saw something that made her grin. He had left a trail of footprints on the dirty floor. With a sort of grim satisfaction Jane crept up a rickety staircase, following the boot-shaped disturbances in the dust. She cringed at every creaking sound her steps caused. As she reached the first landing and the trail continued upwards Jane realised that she was either being lured into a trap or the mystery man was driving himself into a corner. Either way, Jane wouldn't back down now. She sidled up the stairs, her shoulder against the wall. Her current situation reminded her all too much of her disastrous night, when she had descended the stairs in her own flat in a very similar fashion. On the next floor the footsteps veered right into a narrow corridor. The paint had mostly peeled off the walls and the lamps on the ceiling were devoid of light bulbs. Squinting, Jane tried to adjust to the darkness around her. At the end of the corridor the silhouette of a man was visible against a single borded up window. Thin rays of light emerged through slits between wooden panels. The man turned and faced Jane. He had no way to escape.

Adjusting her grip on her gun Jane slowly made her way along the dim hallway.

She couldn't even see if he was armed but she raised her voice anyways: ''I am a police officer. Drop your weapon!''

He didn't drop anything but slowly raised his hands into the air. Jane hid her surprise at his easy surrender. Without missing a beat Jane crept closer until she could see a small part of his faintly illuminated face. All she could make out was the curve of his jaw and an apologetic sort of grin, but it was enough.

''You...'', she started and then several things happened at once.

A loud crash resounded from the stairs and someone who sounded very much like Thor swore. The man in the shadows flinched. Jane took a surprised step forwards and felt the floor below her give way. The decomposed material under her feet broke open and Jane plunged through the hole. She fell into a large room scattered with upended furniture. She shut her eyes tightly in anticipation and hit the floor with a bone crushing impact. Wheezing Jane slid against the threelegged table she had hit upon falling. Specks of debris and dust hit her face as the ceiling above her disintegrated further.

_This day sucks_, was her last thought before effectively passing out.

''…..ne! Come on, now, Jane. Open your eyes.''

Jane groaned. As she slowly made her way back to consciousness pain blossomed along her body. Her head thrummed with it and the whole of her bruised back hurt like hell. Someone was gently tapping her cheek.

''Look at me, Jane'', Thor instructed and with a lot of effort Jane did.

''Good girl'', Thor said and a memory of Loki saying the exact same thing to her resurfaced in Jane's mind with extraordinary clarity. She gasped and struggled to sit up. Thor braced her with an arm around her back and gripped her hand in his stronger one. Jane hissed as the pain did anything but subside.

''I think we'd better call an ambulance Jane. You don't look so good.''

''No! Ah...'', Jane gasped. ''I just need a minute.''

She had heaved herself into a sitting position and put her head between her knees, breathing in evenly. Thor hovered above her, loosely grasping her forearm. Slowly the pain lessened somewhat. Gingerly Jane tested her arms and legs for injuries. She felt stiff and battered but the room didn't spin anymore and she could move. She craned her neck and regarded the hole above her. Through it she could see nothing but darkness. Sandy particles were still cascading from the ceiling.

''He's gone, isn't he?'', she asked Thor, who stared at her with concern plastered all over his face. He was also covered in dust which made Jane take a look at her own body. She looked ridiculous.

''Why are you smiling Jane?'', Thor ventured, obviously confused.

''Just look at us'', Jane said and started to laugh in earnest. Thor shook his head like a wet dog and a cloud of dirt enveloped the two of them. Jane coughed and laughed and tears sprang into her eyes.

Chuckling Thor started to pull Jane to her feet. Regaining her footing, Jane pressed her lips together tightly and withstood the urge to cry out. Her side hurt atrociously. Thor noticed her pressing her hand against her left ribcage.

''You're hurt, aren't you?''

''Just a bruised rip, I think'', Jane answered and forced a reassuring smile onto her features. She would _not_ let herself get hospitalised on top of everything else.

Thor looked skeptical. ''If you say so. But I'll drag you to a doctor myself if you so much as bat an eyelash wrongly.''

''Fine'', Jane said grimly. ''So, any idea where the guy escaped to?''

''I didn't see anyone, Jane'', Thor said slowly. ''I barged in here when I heard you crashing through the ceiling.''

Jane wasn't even surprised. She'd have done the same as Thor. It didn't matter that he hadn't seen the man, because _she_ had. Or at least she thought she had.

''I know it sounds crazy, but I think I recognized him, Thor'', Jane said, looking her partner straight in the eye. ''Either that, or I'm going crazy.'' She was quite dispassionate about that possibility.

''Recognized him? You mean, like, you _knew_ him?''

''No...I never met him before'', Jane said slowly. ''But your brother has.''

* * *

Tadaaaaa. Jane and Thor are fun to write. I hope readers are satisfied with the way I wrote them. Next chapter Loki will be back. Someone asked if they are all human - yes they are.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to review!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jane wasn't exactly feeling up for walking on her own two legs yet, but there was nothing for it. So, bracingly, she grasped Thor's proffered palm and pulled herself off the ground in one swift (hurtful) movement.

''Geez...'' she moaned lamely and Thor frowned at her. He didn't say anything though and led the way outside. The blaring sun was a startling contrast to the dim interior of the decrepit building. Jane had almost forgotten that it was still an earlyish morning outside and that, for most people, it was just another regular workday. Thor hailed a taxi when they had reached the main street, for which Jane was silently grateful. She suspected that Thor was not at all convinced by her reassurances that she was alright. She'd have to work on that. Their ride to the police station was only shortly interrupted by Thor bouncing out of the still half moving car to grab their breakfast order from Sif's. As the smell of freshly baked muffins filled Jane's nostrils, she realised that she was not only starving but unbelievably tired. Her adrenalin levels had instantly shrunken to zero as she had folded herself into the leather backseat, leaving her with nothing to go on but pain and stubbornness. She briefly allowed herself to close her eyes and wondered how she'd survive the rest of the day. A converstion with Loki in her current state was not exactly at the top of the list of things she'd like to do right now.

''_Where_ have you two been? And why do you look so...powdery?'' Fandral asked and stared at them, as Thor and Jane entered the station. He was leaning back in his chair, with his feet on the table in front of him and was throwing a small blue ball from hand to hand. ''Don't tell Volstagg I've got his stress relief ball. He's going to go _mental_ if he doesn't find it.'' The thought seemed to greatly amuse him and he pondered it for a second, a content smile grazing his handsome face.

''We got into a situation'' said Thor and threw him a muffin. It hit Fandral in the chest and he snatched it before it reached the floor.

''What, getting breakfast?''

''Oh, sod off, Fandral'', Jane huffed and sank into her chair.

''Well, don't expect me to tell you about _my_ next adventure, then.'' Fandral said and pouted. ''Oh shit, I gotta go.'' And he left his place rather hurriedly.

A second later Volstagg slouched over. ''Aven't seen my ball 'ave yer?'' he grunted.

''No.''

''Fandral's got it.''

''Jane!'' Thor exclaimed. He looked scandalized.

''That bastard! I 'ave told 'im a million times! Thanks Jane.'' As he spotted Fandral in the far side of the office a murderous glint shone in his eyes. ''I will remember this, traitor'' he offered to Thor, before he slouched away again, in pursuit of Fandral.

''Bit agressive'', Thor said casually and bit heartily into a muffin. ''Why'd you tell him?''

''Because he needs that ball, for obvious reasons.'', Jane answered and rolled her eyes. She sighed and heaved herself off the chair. ''Come on, no point in waiting. Lets talk to your brother.''

Thor grabbed their coffeecups and let her lead the way. In front of Loki's office, Jane hesitated. She had slept in there mere hours ago and the memory of Loki, with his bare arms folded, staring down at her, was still quite prominent in her mind. She composed herself and knocked.

''Yes?'' came Loki's muffled reply and she entered, closely followed by Thor.

Loki was just as surprised as Fandral by their ruffled appearance, but this only translated into a slight tilt of his head. He stopped stacking the folders he had in front of him and motioned for them to sit. Jane was very conscious of him scrutinizing her as she lowered herself down carefully. She hoped very much that no signs of pain flitted across her face. She took the coffee that Thor held out for her and folded her hands around the cup tightly. If she only made it out of this chair without giving herself away, Loki didn't need to know what had happened to her, she told herself and looked up into Loki's face. He was staring back at her intently, knowingly. But this was how he looked all the time, so Jane couldn't be sure if he actually suspected anything.

''So?'' Loki asked mildly and Jane closed her eyes against a wave of annoyance. Loki sounded exactly like her mother had whenever she had wanted Jane to admit to doing something wrong. Thor saved her from speaking. ''Jane tailed a man this morning. She thinks he was watching her -''

''He wasn't watching, he was _observing_ me.''

''Where was this?'' Loki asked.

''In front of Sif's. He was no amateur, I could tell. I followed him to an empty house. I wasn't sure if he was luring me there, but I – me and Thor, we went after him anyways. And, well, it was very dark, but I still got a glimpse of his face, before he got away.''

''He got away?'' Loki asked, raising his eyebrows.

''Yes, er, he jumped out of a window, you see? We didn't dare follow him, it was pretty high up, right Thor?''

''Yep. Pretty high. Must have known parcour or something.'' Thor offered. He sounded convinving enough to Jane. But you could never be too sure with Loki. He had a talent for seeing through lies, which was admittedly a useful quality for a policeman to have, but just now, Jane wished he wouldn't be so observant.

''This isn't good.'' Loki said and looked at Jane, a crease on his forehead. ''You saw his face? Can you describe him?''

Jane hesitated and looked at Thor. He regarded her just as expectantly as his brother. ''I don't need to describe him, because I think I know who he is, Loki. Well, I don't know him personally but I know _of_ him and you do, too, at least I think so...''

''You're rambling, Jane, spit it out.'' Loki demanded and folded his arms.

''I'm pretty sure it was Tony Stark.''

The reaction that followed was not what Jane had expected. Loki did not move a muscle and simply stared at her. Thor, on the other hand, violently surged upwards, loudly scraping his chair over the linoleum floor and knocking over his empty coffeecup. ''_What_?'' he barked and the look on his face was absolutely livid. Jane was quite alarmed and pressed back into her seat, unconsciously trying to put more space between herself and Thor. She blinked back at him, trying to comprehend his violent reaction.

''Are you quite sure, Jane?'' Loki asked in a carefully level voice.

''Y-yes?''

Loki closed his eyes and sighed. He looked at Thor. ''Thor...'' he murmured, and his voice was strange. Something seemed to simmer under his controlled demeanor. A question seemed to hang in that one syllable of his brother's name. He gazed at Thor, still not moving, not blinking...

Thor swivelled around. ''This is bullshit!'' he hissed through gritted teeth. Jane had never heard Thor sounding that angry, that _venomous_. What was going on?

''I think Jane and me should pay Stark a visit.''

''_Do_ you, now?'' Thor ground out and balled his hands into tight fists. He seemed on the verge of punching Loki.

''Brother...' Loki said and this time he definitely sounded imploring.

''Fuck you Loki!'' Thor spat. And he turned around and left the office, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Hello readers (?)

I have no idea what came over me, but I felt like writing something and I thought of this long abandoned story and thought, what the hell? Why not.


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